


he's a star and it's burning bright

by smolghostie



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, and taako is a good dad, angus has nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 08:27:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13163127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolghostie/pseuds/smolghostie
Summary: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯





	he's a star and it's burning bright

**Author's Note:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Taako was the first one to notice it. To notice the difference in everyone, after their fight with the Hunger. After they were finally done running. After they had won. They were different, in a way that was difficult to place. The difference of trauma. The difference that comes with having been through horrible things. The difference of remembering the Story, and the Song that went with it. The Story that told them of everything they had done in the century that had been stolen from them. 

And in some ways, he wondered, perhaps there had been things for the better with that awful century lost to memory, but in others? It would be difficult, near impossible to forgive Lucretia for what she had done to them, what she had taken from them. For hadn’t she taken everything from them? His sister, his best friends, their bonds and the stories that had come with those bonds?

The first time he noticed the difference was when Angus came into his room late at night. The boy was quiet in a way he was never before the battle, and Taako couldn’t help but wonder at the change that had seemingly come over the boy detective. There were a few tear tracks streaking down his cheeks, and he couldn’t find it in himself to tease the boy about the anxious, terrified expression on his small face.

“Hey there Ango, what’s up?” His voice was quiet in the room, dimly lit by the hall light, with Angus silhouetted in the doorway. The boy sniffled, said nothing, walked across the room and blinked up at Taako where he was sitting up on his bed. It was then Taako noticed that he wasn’t wearing his round glasses, unusual for the boy who was nearly blind without them. It meant he must have fumbled his way to Taako’s room, stumbling along in the dimly lit corridors to where he knew Taako’s room to be, desperately hoping to find some form of comfort there.

Realizing that, Taako’s gut wrenched, and he felt a surge of empathy for the child in front of him, but stayed quiet until Angus spoke.

“I… I’m sorry to bother you, sir, I j-just… h-had a nightmare is all…” His voice was shaky and hesitant, full of anxiety, the fear of being teased by the person he trusted most when he revealed a moment of weakness. When he heard Angus’s stammered words, his tiny voice, his scared expression, Taako’s heart  _ shattered _ . 

Memories flooded into him, of his childhood with Lup, of him crawling into her bed and shaking her awake, or just snuggling closer when they were with relatives who couldn’t afford separate beds for them both. Memories of the panic of waking up alone, of needing someone to come to, and going to the person that he trusted most. And in that moment, he understood Angus completely.

“C’mere my guy, it’s gonna be okay. Wanna talk about it?” And the relief that swept across Angus’s face was immeasurable.

He shook his head and reached up to Taako questioningly, tear tracks still staining his cheeks, and Taako opened his arms to him and pulled him up onto the bed, wrapping his arms around him in an awkward but comforting manner. “Hey, l’il dude, it’s gonna be okay. Want me to tell you a story or sing a lullaby or some shit?”

Angus nodded, brushing a few stray tears from his eyes, and gave Taako a weak smile. “That’d be nice, sir, thank you…” 

Taako felt his heart break further than he thought was possible at the little gestures, and it was all he could do to keep from sweeping Angus up into his arms and just holding him, whispering that it would be alright and that he was here, that Taako had him and that-- He shook himself. What was he  _ thinking _ ? 

Angus was blinking up at him. “A-are you alright sir?”

Taako nodded. “Just… thinking of what to sing to you, l’il dude.” He paused for a second, now actually thinking of what story he could possibly tell or what song he could possibly sing to comfort this shaken child who, for some reason beyond him, had come to  _ him _ of all people for reassurance. Eventually he settled on a simple elven lullaby that his aunt used to sing to him and Lup, and began humming the gentle melody.

As he sang the soft words to Angus, the boy detective slowly leaned against Taako and began to fall asleep once more, and Taako allowed a gentle smile to cross his face as he looked down at the sleeping child, seeing him peaceful for the first time since the Day of Story and Song. 

Silently, he contemplated the changes that he began to realize were all around him. In Angus, yes, but also Magnus, Merle, Carey and Killian, Lucretia and Davenport, Lup and Barry, and even himself. Everyone had been changed after that day, and every _ thing _ had been changed by the events that had taken place. 

Magnus seemed lost without more adventures to go on, Merle was talking more to and reuniting with his family, Carey and Killian had been visibly shaken to their very cores by the loss of No-3113. Lucretia was quieter than she had ever been before that, and Davenport was not even talking to her after he found out what she had taken from him. Lup was Lup, but she seemed… subdued after everything. And Barry, Barry  _ seemed _ fine, but it was glaringly obvious to Taako that he was far from it.

In all, they were shaken and damaged by the battle and everything that had come with it. Perhaps… traumatized was the right way to describe it, to describe how broken they all seemed and purposeless and scared and… He shook himself once more, looking back down at Angus. This was, perhaps, too deep a train of thought for this late at night.

He hummed and settled down into the bed, holding the sleeping child close to him and allowing an almost paternal feeling to creep through him. They would be okay, he mused, even if it would take some time. No matter how broken and damaged they were now, they would be okay. They would get better. They would get better. They  _ would _ get better.

 

**Author's Note:**

> title from 12 Years/7 Birds


End file.
